June 28 My final report

6 weeks, 42 days, 15,820 miles, 18 States, 6 Provinces and more memories and experiences than most will have in a lifetime. This was a bucket list trip and one that I put a lot of thought and planning into. I had a lot of people shake their heads at me, I had more than a few tell me I was crazy, but those folks that knew me personally, never questioned whether I would do the trip. They knew my passion and once I sink my teeth into something, I’m going to give it my best shot. Plus I had to fulfill the promise I made to go to Alaska and complete the dream that my Dad had for himself. There were so many reason to go and all the reason given to me on why not to go, made no sense and were all based on fear.

Then came the plan and the backup plans. I carried every tool that I needed to fit every bolt on my bike. I could fix a flat tire 4 different ways. I carried a tent, first aid kit, some food and water, not to camp every night, but to protect myself in case I faced the force of mother nature or the dreaded bike failure in the middle of nowhere. I had the ability to communicate in remote areas and as long as my bike would start, I could recharge the batteries that I needed to use the Spot Tracker. There is not much that I didn’t think of or consider for this trip. I had very few hiccups,(heated suit and camera failure), and none of the hiccups cost me time. I think that I actually over did it on a lot of my backup plans, but it gave me comfort knowing that they were there if I need it. Everything that I packed for this trip got used at least once and if that air pump had not been taken, I would have had a really long day in the middle of nowhere when that front tire went down between Prudhoe Bay and Coldfoot, Alaska.

I met so many great people along my travels. It restores your faith in the good of people when you see it first hand and communicate with them face to face. Turn off the Damn TV and get out of the city and go experience it. The world is not the evil dark place that ABC, CBS, and NBC try so hard to convince us in the news night after night. Remember, they are trying their best to sell commercials to generate revenue and drama, evil, and death will always have more draw than a good hearted news story like when a motorcyclists loses a toy named, “Dixie.” The story was meaningless, but if it made you smile and or laugh, then it was well done and worth it.

To all the friends that I know personally and the new friends that I met on the road, thanks for reading. Running into friends while on the road in places like Yellowstone, Astoria, and Denver was also great fun. Thanks to those at work who gave me the send off as my trip approached.  To the welcoming committee, that was a cool move and it did catch me off guard. Having cookies brought to me in a Victoria Secrets box was great to. Thanks to all that left comments and suggestions on places to see and do. Lastly, thanks to my family members that watched, read, and shared their thoughts and seemed to be having as much fun as I was while I was driving around this country and Canada.

So this concludes my great adventure and I had a great time. It makes me sad that it has come to an end. I’m very happy to be home and reunited with Lori and she can now rest easy knowing I’m safely home. I do not know what the future holds for me and the adventures that are yet to come, but I do know this. Go see the world, do not let others put fear in your mind. We live on a wonderful planet.

Live life so you have no regrets.

Ride Report June 27–Welcome Committee !

I had a hint that I might have someone or someone’s meeting me at the hotel when I ended my days run, but I got better than that. About 45-50 miles outside of Corydon, IN, I saw lights in my side mirrors that looked like motorcycles, so I fired up the camera. I expected to be overtaken by cyclist that I didn’t know, but instead I got buzzed by 3 motorcyclist that I knew. Below is what I saw buzz by me.

 

So I pulled in behind them and let them escort me into Corydon, IN. I must say that it was a total surprised and it was down right cool. Afterwards we went to dinner and then sat around a table outside the hotel and basically shot the bull for 5 to 6 hours. At 11:20pm, I finally gave up and told them I would see them in the morning. Thanks guys and I really appreciate the jester. It is something I will remember and tell stories about forever.

Thanks to John Cassarly, Doug Picard, and Gary Mace.

Tomorrow I will roll into Stephens City Va hopefully around 5-6pm. It’s been a fantastic trip.

Ride Report June 26

The alarm went off at 5:30 and for the first time since I can remember, the alarm clock actually woke me up first. So I jumped up, got ready, loaded the bike, and I drove off into the Denver morning rush hour. OMG! It wasn’t stand still traffic but it was very busy. On top of that, the sun was blaring right in the face. Well duh! You are heading home and home is East!

It didn’t take long and Denver was in my mirror and the flats of Colorado surrounded me. Also what was most apparent was the fact the temperatures were climbing fast. I mean by 9am it was 87 and climbing. I rode most of the day between 99-101. The actual high, according to my bike, was 104. I only had to deal with that for about an hour and things started backing off. When I rolled into Topeka, Kansas, it was 99-100. Yes, that actually felt cooler. There comes a point on a motorcycle ride when you actually have to close your visor because it feels like your face is cooking. My BMW has a very nice windshield so I didn’t bake beyond well done. I felt extra crispy, but I was only well done.

So how did I feel after riding from 11am to 4:30pm, and I lost an hour in there for the time change, in temperature that stayed between 99-101. If wasn’t fun and on top of that, there is nothing to see on I-70. Flat as a pancake. I only stopped twice the entire day, once for lunch and gas. The second time for a strawberry milkshake, water, and gas. I laid down about 550 miles and I feel pretty good. I got a shower and went out for dinner and even brought back a Strawberry Shortcake for a snack later. Did I mention it also had ice cream.

Tomorrow ride length will be almost and exact duplicate of today at around 550 miles or a bit more. Weather along my route of flight tomorrow should, keyword “should”, not get any higher than 94. That should be good. I know there will be lot’s of disbeliever’s out there but my Klim suit in the heat did exactly what it was suppose to do and that was keep me hydrated. Yes, I made myself drink water every 25 miles while riding, but I only went through one bottle the entire day. That bottle holds a quart of water.

So tomorrow I Topeka, Kansas and will end my day in Corydon, Indiana. I will also be back on Eastern Standard time when I arrive in Corydon.

Pictures of the Day.

Ride Report June 25–14,130 Feet…..Wind–1, Me - 0

This morning was the day that I was to picked up Debbie, drive over to the Waffle Brothers, meet up with Travis the boss and then head to Mt. Evans. Travis got sick and could not make the planned run. After breakfast, I ended up talking to one of the owners of the Waffle Brothers restaurant and he was fascinated with the motorcycle and trip that I was currently on. He was from Australia and he an a friend started this local business from a cart truck, (do not hold me to that terminology), and built it up into 2 restaurants and soon to be three. He was an interesting fellow and I wished him luck to his business and told him one day that I would bring the wife, so she could try some of these yummy waffles. Click here to see their page and click on the menu to look at those waffles. Mmm.

So off we went to climb Mt.Evans and before we could get out of the city I see a van that said, Follow me to paradise! Maybe I should have followed. Explain later. Traffic wasn’t to bad on the mega-State and/or 4-lanes, but cars were pushing around me quickly is always a concern. Soon we in the real world of 2-lane zig-zag. With a speed limit of 25, it was a little hard to have fun in that, so I knew I would have to wait till later. Up, up, up, we went and we finally reached the entrance. We had only climbed up to 10,500 feet and still had another 4000 to go.

Ok, if I remember correctly the temperature was 62 when we pulled into the parking lot to put more layers on. I knew for every 1000 feet the temps would fall 3-5 degrees, so I was figuring on 40-45 degrees at the top. I put on jacket liner and Debbie ski pants and I believe a jacket liner. She wanted to stay with the thinner gloves so she could take pictures. When we pulled up to the gate to pay, the reported temperature at the top was, 33 degrees. Damn! What they didn’t tell us was about the wind. Remember that van? Maybe I should have followed!

So as we are climbing the first thing you notice quickly is that the trees disappear. I believe that happens between 10 and 11000 feet. Second is that the road narrows. Third is the snow heaves. Fourth, cars start to slow in your path and the turns get tighter and tighter with 180 degree switch backs. I’m not done yet. Now the wind gust start to pound the side of the bike but not to terrible. Finally while driving the last insult to me, the cars just stop because they want to take pictures of goats. Stopped on an incline, 13,000 foot elevation, wind gusts, standing on my tip toes, (tall bike), passenger on back, “Damn it, move!!” I hate that!! In any other circumstances, Lori will tell you, I’m zinging these cars, goats or no goats. But not today, not enough room in my eyes when they stopped in the middle of a 180 degree switch back. Umm, still not done! So we finally pull into the parking lot and find a place to park. I didn’t even feel like I could get off the bike because the wind was blowing so hard, I thought it might actually blow it off the kickstand. I had no faith, but the kickstand did it’s job and the bike stood tall. At first Debbie and I both walked around with our helmets on because we were being pushed around the parking lot. Finally I took mine off and got the full brunt of the wind. Ranger standing near by reports, wind gusting 32 knots, wind chill just below zero. Damn!

Well we didn’t stay long. Snap a picture here and snap a picture there and it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out, we should leave. Then Debbie made this comment, “you’ve driven 15,000 miles, I will climb up to the summit it you want.” Then she said, “I’m just afraid I might just be blown off the top!” I might have that order mixed up, but I told her, I’d already climbed up there once before and I see no need in this wind. So we bailed!

Once we started our decent, the winds disappeared and the temperatures started to climb. Exiting the park is the first time I warned Debbie that I might miss behave just a little bit on this section of road. I told her the signal me to slow me down, but she never gave it. I pushed the BMW as far as I felt comfortable and it was the most fun of the day. Scenery, the climb up and down on Mt. Evans was the winner and Debbie got some great shots. Me? Not so much. There was no way being scared of heights, wind blowing, cars stopping, was I taking my hands off the bars to take a damn picture. No way!

I made a wrong turn when I attempted to make Estes Park today and once Debbie realized I screwed up, I pointed the BMW back to Denver. I hate back tracking and it was getting hot. Once we got down to Denver elevations, we were riding in temps between 90-95. So we opted for a lunch/dinner and called it a day.

It was fun seeing an old friend and I hope we stay in touch for years to come. I have already spoken to Lori about flying to Alaska next summer to re-visit some of the places I saw and some that I missed. I will fly and rent a jeep so Lori will actually enjoy it. Not sure she would like some of the rough roads and dirt roads that I want to show her, while riding a motorcycle. Debbie and her husband, Tom, will also be moving to Homer this summer, if all works out for them, and that will also give us someone to visit. To Cool!

Ok,  tomorrow my 1500 mile sprint back to the east coast begins and I cannot tell you how much a dread the thought. I’m almost praying that it rains the entire time. Forecast temperatures look nasty and if it rains, at least I will be cool. So by 9am east coast time, I will be sprinting home. Ready or not, here I come Lori!!!!

Pictures of the day

Ride Report June 24 Oh the heat.

Today was my initiation into the heat. It didn’t get what I call bad but very noticeable compared to what has been to date a very cool ride. Pulling out of the parking lot at 8:45am or so, it was already 64 degrees. By the time I came rolling into Denver 87. Like I said, not bad, but it was a big change compared with all the other days I have ridden. I suspect more to come.

I rolled into Dinosaur Monument Park right on schedule and it didn’t take long to walk through their display of fossils. It was kind of neat how the built a building partially on top of an old dig site. That particular site is no longer researched, but the Park itself is still an active dig.

Rolling out of Dinosaur the mission was just to roll to Denver and try to find a somewhat scenic path. Highway through Steamboat Springs was my choice. The best description I can give you is this. Your basically out there by yourself. I went 110 miles before I passed a car going in the same direction as myself. Not to many opposite direction. Some very long straight a ways. I went from arid conditions to very green conditions. Temperature were pretty much level throughout the day, they just continued to rise until the reached the peak of 87. The only except was the 3 times I crested above 10,000 and then the temps fell back toward 65.

Winning picture in my opinion is of lookout. I was traveling around 75 mph, leaned up and over the windshield and shot straight down the nose of the craft to make sure he was doing his job. He was.

Once arriving in Denver, I made contact with Debbie to arrange for dinner meet. When I checked into the Hampton Inn tonight, they mentioned they were serving a complimentary dinner starting at 7pm. So Debbie arrived about 30 minutes prior, we chatted, and then we walked toward the dinner area. I ask, what time you start serving? We finished at 7pm. Oops a daisy. Oh well, we walked across the street and had Mexican instead. We chatted about all the kids in the old neighborhood, our spouses, kids, parents, and a little bit of everything. It was as if the 38 years since we spoke as kids never happened.

So tomorrow, I pick Debbie up around 8:45, then meet her boss Travis at Waffle Brothers, and then head to Mount Evans. I almost did a complete run to Mount Evans today by total accident. There was a major backup on Interstate 70 just west of Idaho Springs. I told my Garmin to eliminate Interstates and give me a route to my Hotel in Denver. The back roads it selected took me just outside the entrance of Mount Evans and an elevation of 11,118 feet. I was almost there. It was a good warm-up for tomorrows run and the only curvy roads I saw the entire day.

Pictures of the Day

Ride Report June 23 - Wild swings

This morning in Pinedale the 7am temperature was 37. Brrr. By the time I got moving and heading south it quickly rose to 50 and by noon’ish, 85. That’s a big temperature swing and when I came rolling into Vernal, Utah, I had all flaps open for cooling. The other thing was altitude. I rode up and down different elevations all day long and they swung between 6300 – 8500 feet. Today was a reality shock for me because I would have to say the mean temperature so far this trip is 55-60. Pretty damn comfortable and it is very east to adjust to, with layers and a heated suit. The ride from Denver to Stephens City is really going to be fun in the heat. I have been looking at the forecast and one of the days is forecasting 100.

Now before I left Pinedale, I managed to have fun with one of the other overnight residents of the Hampton Inn. The man was standing in the elevator and he saw me coming so he held the door for me, so I thought. I reached over and pressed 2 and asked him which floor and he kind of mutter something while looking out the opening but then clearly said, “Wait a sec, hold the door, here she comes.” So his wife jumped into the elevator. Then he reached over and pressed 3. I looked at her and then I said, “He told me to close the door quickly, so you did good making it onboard.” She started laughing, I started laughing, and he laughed and said, “Thanks for having my back.” Mission Accomplished, I made them not only smile but laugh. A bonus.

Look at that first picture in the first paragraph. Is that sky blue or what? The ride today was almost picture perfect. Yea, it got a little warm but I knew that was coming. I didn’t have much planned today for things to see and do, so I was pleasantly surprised to run into the Flaming Gorge National Park. The Gorge was formed by the Green River and then the man made Dam as part of the Reclamation Act. They Park had signs everywhere to watch your kids and do not let them run off unattended. They also wanted you to stay on the path and behind fences. They had good reason. It was very easy to find places that you could walk right out to the edge and you were staring at a 1300 to 1700 foot drop. Let’s just say this old boy stepped out toward one ledge to get a shot, but I stayed back 10 feet or more. Something’s you just never get over.

Mark’s new hobby. I have been trying to catch the motorcycle wave! It is much harder than it looks. Anyways, the shot of the day goes to this guy. He is the only one I got in frame and wave at the same time. I would have to say most of my shots got nothing but sky!

One thing about these long trips that bug me is tires, specifically the rear. It is normally a 2 to 1 ratio. You go through 2 rear tires for ever front tire. I should be able to get 7500 – 8000 out of the back tire, so I sat down today and did the math and I will be able to make it home without having to buy a new rear tire. Even though it looks good today, with 3500 miles on it, I know I will put down another 2200 before I reach home. I should be good unless I catch a nail or something. 5 more legs or days and I will be back in Virginia. Damn that went fast!

Ok let me give you a little briefing about me blogging from this point to home. Tomorrow I will first thing hit Dinosaur National Monument to see me some bones! Then I will sprint via mostly scenic roads to Denver. There I will meet an old friend that I grew up with in the old neighborhood but she moved to Florida when we were 12, 13, or 14. She has a much better memory than I on the time. She wants to show me the hood and then the next day, we meet up with her boss (also a BMW R1200 rider), and ride up to Mt. Evans. In case you do not know, the highest hard surface road in the United States, 14,265. Then we will ride Rocky National Park. The following day begins my sprint to Virginia, so I may or may not have time to blog. I will give it a shot, but don’t hold your breath. So to Todd and John, my brothers, I will taking Debbie Dwyer now Debbie Fanatia for a motorcycle ride to top of Mt. Evans and I’m scared of heights. Hehe, just the thought makes me smile. Should I tell her? Hell I’ve done it twice, so it should be easy. Last time was on a bigger bike pulling a trailer, so this time should be a breeze. She is a pretty good photography so I’m hoping that just maybe, she’ll get some really nice shots to show you guys. All I can say, she is a brave woman riding with me. Her and her husband, Tom are also moving to Homer Alaska to become the states newest resident. At least now I have a reason to fly to Alaska, to visit a friend. See you tomorrow Debbie.

Picture of the day

Ride Report June 22–and that makes 52!

Some of you know exactly what that title means and the rest, clueless? June 22nd was my 52nd birthday and I’m proud of it because I made it to 52. I’ve done a lot of ding dong things in my life that would be reason enough for me not to be here, but I made it. I’ve had one hell of ride getting here and hope that the next 52 go as well. I must hang around long enough to be a pain in the butt for my kids.

Can you say, “Brrr?” It was a bit chilly last night sleeping in a tent in Island Park, Idaho. Yep, I did it but I had to take advantage of the sleeping bag design and zip my head inside. The silk liner I bought, as told to me by John Cassarly, and being zipped up like a cocoon, did the trick. I was warm. Problem? I had to come out of the cocoon eventually and it was cold. Second issue for me was that the campground had no shower facilities. Restrooms, yes, no showers. So, that meant roughing it all day the next day. By the time I reached my destination, I was ready for that shower and it was the first thing I did. Ah, that felt so good. Does that mean I’m a powder puff softy?? Hmm, to some, probably so, but that’s ok it was fun. The Campground itself was very very nice because they made special pads for the tents. Nice and level and easy to drive to stakes into the ground.

When I got back to the tent last night I finalized my route decision for today. I was thinking on traveling to Craters of the Moon park, but I decided that the route I laid out for the day after was to long. So I divided that route in two parts and ran part one today. As I was taking down the tent this morning, the skies started to sprinkle on me. So I stepped up my takedown speed so everything would not get wet. Second issue, when I started the bike, my information screen was flashing a OIL warning light. Really? Turned her off, put her up on the centerstand and the oil level was spot on. Come on, so what does that mean? I decided to drive out to the first store I knew of and check again. Oil warning is still there. I centerstand it, check, spot on. Hmm, then it hit me. I hit the information button on my controls and it stopped. It was telling me I needed a damn oil change. Grrr, I miss read the screen and thought the worst! I change my oil when I want to, so be quite computer!!!!

The rain slant sprinkles lasted all of about 5 miles and I was out of it. The first stop was recommended to me by Doug Meikle and that was Mesa Upper Falls. Wow! That was awesome. No one but me was there, so I could setup and take pictures as I wanted. The mist bellowing out from the falls and the sunlight created a rainbow. I actually was able to capture in pictures that rainbow before the sun slid behind more clouds. Thanks Doug! First comedy of the day was the ranger who locked herself out of her own welcome building at the falls. I offered her my phone, but it had no service. Then I showed her the clasp my wife bought me, so I could keep up with my keys and said, maybe an investment in one of these might help in the future. Not sure that impressed her much. I waved and said, “Have a great day.”

Now my track was to lead me to the Grand Tetons. I was coming into the Tetons from the west and from my point of view, it looked like rain. I never hit a drop. The ride through the Tetons were pretty and I guess everyone in the lower 48 think they are the prettiest but I’m going to say, I disagree. They were a small version of Alaska and a lot of British Columbia. The Tetons are pretty but to me, Jackson and all the surrounding beauty is just ok. I will say that the price for everything is high just like Alaska, so maybe they are similar.

I stopped at Bubba’s Barbeque in Jackson and as I was sitting down a gentleman close by wanted to know what I riding. I told him and his wife, I assume, that I was riding a BMW R1200GSA. He then went on to tell me he own a Harley dealership in New Jersey, sorry can’t remember where in Jersey, and he owned several Harley’s but for this trip, he bought a more comfortable Honda Goldwing. I was a little surprised by that fact, but then he went into the pro’s and con’s of both and he had some really good points. I will not bore you with all the details, but he wanted the engine and electronics of the Honda built onto the look and more user friendly bags of the Harley’s. I have no Harley experience, so I’m going to take his word for it. They were on their way to Alaska and wanted to know my track and experiences as I wanted to know their planned route. The only thing that I thought they would miss was the ride south through British Columbia, specially down Highway 99.

Now I’m a pretty lite speaker and sometimes people have a hard time hearing me. Now add this to the fact that he was hard of hearing and we had a small comedy show. His wife, did an outstanding translating for me. It was actually fun! I’m serious, it was fun. The interaction between those two was good and she told me once to scream at him, but I was enjoying watching her and him. The packing story was the highlight and reminded me of the first long trip Lori and I took. At the advice from a friend, I marched Lori behind the motorcycle and proceed to point at all three bags and say, “This bag is for my stuff, this bag is for your stuff, and this bag is for riding gear.” Then I watched her face wrinkle up when she looked at that tiny bag. They say, it’s the small things in life that make it. So true! I chit chatted with this couple from New Jersey for at least an hour and then wished them safe travels. So to Sam and Catherine, have a fun and great adventure.

So all that was left was for me to travel on down the road to Pinedale, WY. It didn’t take long for all the nice green trees to turn into a more arid looking terrain. The terrain was also more flat. Riding, it felt like a short day but it still took me every bit of 8 hours to cover. Pinedale just kin of popped up out of nowhere as I was riding in. I was looking at the GPS and looking at the terrain, and it just wasn’t there and then, it just popped into view. So what do people do here for a living? I asked. They most run cattle or work in the oil business. I didn’t see anything reference oil driving in, so I questioned that. Seems that the oil businesses all lay south of town. Ok, I will see them tomorrow leaving town. The last thing or order of business, I got a haircut. I was looking pretty shaggy, even though I’m mostly bald. I got a number 1, so now I really look eagle with no wings!!!

Just a mileage update, 13,450 miles to date. Someone asked me again if my ass was sore yet. Nope, broke in.

Pictures of the Day

June 21 Ride Report–Yellowstone National Park

I have to say that the decision to run from the rain north of Missoula and Glacier National Park turned out to be a great decision. Yes there were times inside Yellowstone that I thought it was going to rain, but it never did. What has 4 legs, stands up on 2 of them most of time, and has no consideration for others. Hint: It a species that comes in all shapes and sizes and blocks traffic. You guessed it, “Humans.”  Ok maybe because I rode through the Yukon, Canada and saw ever single animal that was in Yellowstone, maybe I was a little immune to it. But come on, these folks would just stop their cars in the middle of the lane, open the doors, run to closet position they could get with their $5000 lens, oh and didn’t close their doors, and take picture after picture after picture with no regards for anyone. It’s as if the world revolved around them. So glad the wife didn’t come with this time, because I might have gotten an ass chewing. I’ll explain the why I did what I did first. My BMW is oil cooled supplemented with air moving across the head fins. Sitting idle for long periods of time cause my bike, to run hot. Not critical hot, but enough to make premium fuel spark knock when I do finally start to move. So I sat as long as my patience's would take, then Mark started threading this two-wheeled animal down the center line sometimes weaving into opposite direction traffic to cool the engine. I got a few dirty looks, but hell, they were just as illegal as me for abandoning their car in the middle of the road. I know Lori would have said something because she let it be known she didn’t like lane splitting in California even though it was legal.

That was the worst part of the day and it happened a lot toward the end of the day, but it’s all good.

I did a clockwise 200 mile loop around Yellowstone and I visited and photographed ever site that I built a waypoint for. I did a lot of waterfalls and I’ve been here before, but I just do not remember visiting the falls that I pictured. I also do not remember as much steam being released as I saw this particular trip. Air temperature swings were also large because of elevations. I think my highest altitude that I actually saw on the GPS was 8900. The only thing that I didn’t see was the actual blow of Old Faithful. I should have done my route counter clockwise and stopped at Old Faithful first so I could see it again. I have seen Old Faithful fire off several times, but I hate missing it since I came this far. The issue was I wanted to spend some time with a friend.

So the reason that I didn’t stay and wait for Old Faithful was because I didn’t plan it correctly, people holding up traffic, and I wanted to spend some time with Doug and Brenda Meikle. I worked with Doug for many years until his retirement. We also use to ride motorcycles together but his passion has overcome him. Doug is a very passionate Fly Fisherman. He traveled from Virginia to spend 2 months near Island Park to do just one thing, Fish. Brenda, bless her heart, pretty much lets him have his way when it comes to this passion. He told me he plans on doing some sight seeing while here, but until I hear Brenda confirm it, I will be skeptical. Doug fixed the steaks and Brenda the potato's and I enjoyed the food and the company. Brenda even bought me some birthday cupcakes. Pretty Awesome. Time went by way to fast and as darkness fell, the BMW and me left for our campground just 3 miles north from where the Meikle’s were staying.

What an overall great day and all because of the rain near Glacier National Park.  There are 100 photo’s in the Pictures of the day.

Pictures of the day

Ride Report June 20 and a little more about the 19th.

I think it only fair that all should know just how bad the ride was from Baker City, Oregon to Missoula, Montana actually was. I did the homework the day before, so I knew that it could be a rough one. A 460 mile day on back roads, 2 lanes, is hard enough to do in 8 hours in good conditions and my Garmin was calling for 10 hours. I do not remember the exact time I pulled out of Baker City but I’m pretty sure I was out of there by 8am. Why? No one but me was in the restaurant.

Ok, I was all dressed for battle so off I went. I was still in town gassing up, when the attendant walks up and say’s, “You’re a brave man to be out here on a day like this.” I told him that I’m 3000 miles from home and do not have many choices. Note to yourself for the next part. I have a special shield inside my helmet that stops fogging. Haha! I pulled out of the station in heavy rain and I got 5 miles out and had to stop because I could not see. The shield was fogged over. I take it apart, reseat the anti-fog shield and off I go. Another 5 miles, same thing. Alright, stop 3 coming up and I’ve done maybe 20 miles. I said to myself, “can it be any worse if I just take off the anti-fog shield and leave it off. Bingo! We have success. I left a little crease in the shield and I could deal with the occasional rain splatter in the face and cold air rushing in.

Ok so that battle is done. Now the wind! I have no clue how fast it crossed my path but I swear I came around one corner in 3 gear and 30 mph and the bike almost stopped in it’s tracks!! It was the sensation of the wind that I felt, the bike didn’t actually stop, but I did have to downshift and accelerate. This went on until I reach Council, OR., where I needed a mental break, fuel, and food. There is not much here in this one road town. Lined up on the side of the road is 8-10 dual sport motorcycle similar to mine but smaller. Figured since most where local plates, the place must not be to bad for eats. What a sight I greeted to. Have you ever seen a wet dog after it has been swimming or in the rain for hours? Haha, the floors were soaked and the customers were laughing at them. Me too. Sorry but they were a sad bunch and it made it funnier because they were all 50 or older. They all wanted to know how my ride went and why I didn’t look soaked. It was awful, I told them, and I’m mostly dry. That exterior Klim suit was now worth the money looking at that bunch.

I pulled out of Council and the skies where actually bright overhead but in the distance like a monster waiting to eat me, was the darkness. I was hoping my route turned away somehow, but I knew. The rain was hard at times but what was missing this leg was the wind. I can deal with this. I was also driving so conservative in the corners that I felt like I was scared of my own equipment. I think what it really was, is the wind that beat me down the first leg of the day. I eventually came to my senses and started rolling at my normal pace. I knew the tires would stick but mentally, I was somewhat exhausted.

Here was the last punch in the face! When I travel with Lori, I make my reservations 2 or 3 days in advance unless there is a holiday approaching. That one I will make early. When I travel by myself, I just drive up and take my chances. I went to 8 or 9 different hotels before I finally found one that had rooms. At one point, I was thinking about re-saddling and driving south.

Ok summary of all that was damaged! Remember when I said I stopped to clean that shield 3 times? The rag or towel I was using was in my pant pocket on the exterior shell and I forgot the last time to zip it. Well after about 5-6 hours of taking on water, it finally got though my exterior shell, heated pants, to the jeans, but I was warm because of the heated pants. My tail bag where I mounted the extra fuel tanks? Well the screw holes must be leaking in harsh conditions because I had 1 inch of water standing in that bag. Cloths only, and I only had one set of clean cloths left, so no biggie. My laptop!! It’s safe but the neoprene liner that was wrapped around had a few wet spots. The exterior liner overtop of my computer showed a bit of moisture but the laptop itself, nothing. It worked fine. All in all, everything worked very well except for the stuff that I failed to do properly. Lastly, the length of the leg, the roads selected, and the conditions, mentally beat me up. By morning, I was recharged and ready to roll. Sort of, ready to roll away from the rain.

So this morning after all the weather research I did, I decided to give up Glacier National Park and head south to Yellowstone. I had a few things that had to be done prior to leaving Missoula. I had to do the laundry and I had to re-seal those screws that held my extra fuel tanks. Took me about 2 hours to get all of this done, but I was rolling out of town by 9:30 or 10am.

It was a good plan! I rain into maybe 1 to 2 minutes of sprinkles the entire ride today and by the time I hit Butte, Montana, skies where starting to clear off. I t was a beautiful ride into West Yellowstone and yes I had the camera rolling again.

Tomorrow my new plan for the day is to ride as much of Yellowstone as time will allow. I laid out several waterfalls, hot springs, lakes, and of course Old Faithful. The weather forecast is cold at first, but should warm up nicely. Rain? Very small chance, so my plan to runaway seems to be correct.

Pictures of the Day

June 25, 2013 planned route, Day 39

So here I am, the last day of my adventure as I see it and then the 3 day sprint back to Virginia. The plan today is to pickup Debbie Fanatia and give her a ride on the R1200GSA to the highest Asphalt road in the united States. The hard surface road peaks out at 14,240 feet on top of Mt.Evans. I have made the climb in a SUV and on a motorcycle and I will tell you if you scared of heights, this will make your stomach tighten a bit. The last 4 to 5 miles the road narrows and there are no guard rails. It gives the appearance that you could roll off the edge and roll, roll, forever. After we accomplish this mission, then the plan is to ride up through Rocky mountain National Park and  hope that the road is open. I have tried twice before to ride completely through the park only to be stopped by snow. If we make it through the park, then we will just ride the countryside until we end up back her home. Lunch and Dinner will be on her to research and figure out since she is the local. Today’s run should be very relaxing and my second round robin of this trip. Planned mileage for today is 282 miles.

Hampton Inn & Suites Denver-Speer Boulevard

2728 Zuni Street

Denver, CO 80211

855-271-3622

June 24, 2013 planned route, Day 38

Today I plan to turn east and head toward Denver. Before that though, I will be driving through Dinosaur National Monument and maybe see some old bones. not sure how long I can stay and look around, but it would be cool to see some fossils. After that it is due eastbound through the ski town of Steamboat Springs and into Denver. In Denver the plan is to meet up with Debbie, a childhood friend, and do dinner and talk about the next day. Don’t want to spoil it for you, so you’ll have too read the next post to see what is up with that. The sad news is that after today and tomorrows run, this trip to me is over and the sprint home begins. Today’s leg should be 354 miles.

Hampton Inn & Suites Denver-Speer Boulevard

2728 Zuni Street

Denver, CO 80211

855-271-3622

June 23, 2013 planned route, Day 37

Today I will be leaving Doug and Yellowstone National Park. I will be driving on another Road Runner route that will take me through Jackson Hole and Scenic highway 191. Should be another beautiful ride through some of the best scenery in our nation. At the end of the day I should end up n Vernal, Utah. Today’s ride will be 488 miles.

Holiday Inn Express

1515 W US Hwy 40

Vernal, UT 84078

June 22 New Plan. Day 36

Today is going to be another smell the roses type of day and I will ride down to Craters of the Moon National Park. I’m either going to ride down to the park with Doug and Brenda Meikle or ride alone and stop in and see them on the way back. I would like to do dinner with them somewhere, so I will iron that out with them. Route length should be around 337 miles.

Side note, I’m now officially 52. Damn! Where does time go?

June 21 New Plan - Tour the park. Day 35

Tomorrow I have 9 attractions laid out in my Garmin and I will make sure that I see them all. They are Several water falls, a canyon, hot springs, a lake or two, and of course Old Faithful. I plan to take lot’s of pictures and take my time. Hmm, smell the roses again. Total route length should be around 181 miles.

June 20th, Major Re-Route for Weather - Day 34

Today or actually last night, I made the decision I was tired of the rain. I knew from the forecast that going to Glacier National Park it was going to rain and I would not see anything. After 8 hours of that yesterday, I had enough. Now if the destination change would have been raining also, I might have made that Glacier run.

So today I ran from the rain and headed to clearer skies and no rain. I’m currently in West Yellowstone. Today’s run was about 261 miles.

Ride Report June 19th–It rained.

Well it rained!

Then it rained.

Then it rained some more.

461 miles and 451 of rain.

Something's got wet wet and something's survived untouched.

Tomorrow??????????

More rain to the North and Sunny to the South????????

Planning as I type, might be heading to Yellowstone in the morning.

Miserable day. Still not as bad as those 10 riders that I saw in Council, Id., but bad enough for me.

Pictures of the day????? Just Google Highway 12 Idaho, awesome road and I will be back one day to do it again.

Nite nite!

June 18th Ride Report–Wow what views! Crater Lake.

So last night I did the camping thing at Carter Lake. I knew going into the day that the Lodge would be full and I was right. So I mozied on down to the Campground, setup shop and got ready for my evening. I didn’t have to cook for myself because there was a restaurant in the campground. I had to have some comforts, right? Supper was good. Fried Chicken, Corn on the Cob, Mashed Taters, and sting beans. Did I forget to mention Sweet Tea?

Ok, so after supper it was off to my portable home to type as much as I could remember and as much as my batteries would allow. So I finished off the laptop battery, the cell phone battery was down to 15%, turn that off, and the Spot Tracker had life, but I have no clue for how long. Recharging abilities? None! Communications to the outside world? Almost none, I had Spot Tracker if needed.

Elevation was 6500' feet in the campground and by 9pm it was getting brisk. The forecast was 32, but that was at the lodge and it was 73 or 7500 feet. When I laid down to go to sleep, I could feel the brisk air but it wasn’t that bad. When I rolled into my sleeping bed, mmm, snug as bug in a rug. I didn’t stir until 5am. Birds! I tried to get on back to sleep and laid there for 45 minutes and said, light enough, let’s start packing. Took me an hour to break everything down and pack it all back on the motorcycle. That’s including getting warmly dressed.

Rolling out the campground the thermometer on the bike read 42, so that might have been the low. As I drove back up to Crater Lake to get those early morning shots with no people insight, the temps quickly dropped to 36 degrees. This is the point the BMW starts flashing the temperature warning about freezing roads. As I rolled around the western side of the lake, I lost another 2 degrees to 34. Ok now, it’s getting pretty close to the freezing point and there is water on the roads. That was it, the temp never got any lower and I made my exit downhill out of Crater Lake. You guys reading this, put Crater Lake on your Bucket List. My pictures do it no justice and you have to see it in person. Just incredible colors.

Ok, so the rest of the day was track east to Baker City, Oregon. The views and roads where suppose to be very nice. Problem? Rain, more rain, and then it rained some more. What do I hate about the rain? I can’t see nothing and I cannot take pictures to show you!! It wasn’t all that bad and I did manage to get some nice shots. Some of the good roads with curves were dry, so that was fun. But riding in the rain, just spoils my view. I got the gear, so that is not an issue. It’s all about the view.

Rolling into Baker City the plan was to stay in a motel that was built in 1889. Nice place and I took some internal shots, but no external shots. Tomorrow when I leave, I promise to take the external shots as long as I remember. Hell, I’ll be 52 shortly and sometimes I forget things. Very nice hotel and restaurant and I love these old restored motels.

So I have one more little story to tell and I’m done for the evening. I’m waiting to be seated in the motel restaurant when the Hostess finally ask how many. I said, just me and the ugly bike out front. She didn’t smile! What’s wrong with her? She points to the back as we are walking and said pick a table and I point to the one in the center up against the wall. Sorry that’s reserved. Fine, that one over there will do. Couldn’t she just seat me somewhere? So as I’m eating, the people that reserved the table sit down at the special table and they were a bit older than me. They might have been my parents. I hear the word anniversary. So when my waitress handed me my check, I asked, “What year anniversary is it?” She said, “52.” I said thanks and I have a request. Bring me their check please. She gave me a very strange look and then walked up to another waitress and the other waitress looked my way and smiled. I paid their bill, scratched out the amount due and wrote $0.00. On the backside of the bill I wrote, Congratulations to the both of you, and pay it forward. Then I left.

Tomorrows ride is looking very gloomy rain wise for me. Does it matter? Yes, I will not be able to see and you will not get pictures. Let’s hope that it eases off the 80% prediction. I‘m riding to Hell’s Canyon and ending in Missoula, Montana.

Pictures of the Day

June 17th Ride Report: Oh my!

First thing I want to do before I get into the ride report is to thank someone. No names and if they read it, they will know. Someone out there took it upon themselves to ship me a replacement for Dixie when I first reported it. They loaded my webpage, click on a date about 5 – 7 days ahead, and shipped the package to the hotel I had picked out. Pretty clever if I say so myself. Then the News Story broke in Vancouver and it was to late to take it back, it was in the mail. I emailed said good Samaritan and told them this. The story started when someone else gave it to me, then I created a story and a blog attachment to her, (Dixie), and so did the readers. Mark then lost her somehow. Then the News Story broke and it made it even more complicated. Look, originally even I was going to go buy a new toy, but I decided to just report it as it happened and take full credit for my blunder. I just can’t get my head wrapped another little toy at this late venture, so I thanked them for all their effort and trouble. I hope I didn’t offend them. I’ll take credit for that to. Now if Dixie was to miraculously reappear, then that would make a great blog post and story. So let’s just let it die unless.

My planned route today, I thought, was going to take me through more trees, then a scenic motorcycle tour, and then Crater Lake. Well almost none of that happened. I did see a few more trees but it was so brief, I knew that I didn’t do my homework well enough for this leg. Ok, the skies are crispy blue and the temperatures are 60-65, let’s just keep rolling.

My road was pretty but fast paced. Meaning that the speed limit was 55 or more. Not your typical expected speed limit on back road touring. Once I reached Cave Junction, I made my first turn off route. At first all was good. Then the road got incredibly narrow but it was still paved. Up and up I went and then the dreaded sign, asphalt turns to dirt. Ok, I can do this. I 80-20 tires, meaning that 20% is meant for dirt. The road is hard packed but there is a bit of loose rock, sometimes 1 to 2 inches deep. I still can do this. I was back at least 20 miles on this road and the last 5 all dirt when the Garmin said make a right turn. Ok, I turn right, I go 100 feet and stop. My exact words, “You’ve got to be kidding!” I knew what an ATV trail looked like and this was a ATV trail. This big A$$ BMW is not made for trails. I shake my head, and this is where most turn around or park and walk it a bit. I put her in gear and off I go. I can do this. Rocks are now softball size and ruts are anywhere from 6 –12 inches deep and me and BMW are not happy. The first flat I come to I stop. Pounder!!! Get off the bike, Start pushing back and forth to the tune of about a 15 point turn and retreat to the better dirt. It took me about 5 minutes to turn that beast around on that small trail because it was not much wider than the length of my bike.

Now what? I’m looking at a 23 mile back track from here. One road continues to points unknown and unknown condition. The second road that I’m looking at also looks like an ATV trail. Mark gets the laptop out and fires up Mapsource. I get my Latitude and Longitude off the Garmin itself. I plug them into the Software on the Laptop to pinpoint myself on the map. Damn, all roads lead to more unknown dirt for a minimum of 20 miles before they hit any road that says Highway. Well to me the only logical decision was to back track and retreat. So I retreated like a little girl with frilly panty's. It’s ok, sometimes we just have to admit we made a mistake and regroup. So I went to a local Subway, sat down with the laptop and Garmin and made a new route.

So here I sit at Crater Lake and yes Mark Trent, I’m camping. I have no way to recharge all my crap, so I will have to wait another day before I can blog this post. The Lake? What a beautiful and breath taking view on such a clear day. The water gives a new meaning to Blue. Tomorrow morning I will take more shots.

Pictures of the Day

June 16th Ride Report: I packed to much in this day, but wow

This is and was the last southern route that I will be taking on the Pacific Coast highway. I had no idea what to expect other than trees. This morning got off a little slow because I had to find replace that digital camera that has finally in my opinion, became worthless. Something is wrong with the lens and it’s just not worth taking shots if they are going to look like yesterdays bunch. To many erroneous dots in the frame. Not the exact camera I wanted, but it will fill the bill for motorcycling.

Ok with the camera situation solved, I took off south and it was a bit chilly at 56 degrees. No rain though, so life is good. The first little chant off of 101 dropped me into the Redwood State Park and the trees are big, but not quite as big as I remember. Apparently, the big stuff comes tomorrow. It also didn’t take long before I found myself off-road in the dirt again easing down the coast until the road ended. Don’t know how I did that, but the road ended and I had to make a little re-route on the fly. When Garmin works, Garmin is cool. Eventually I popped back onto 101.

The further south I went the warmer and clearer the skies became. Now for a little creepy story. I rolled into Eureka and I needed a cup of coffee and change my gear up a bit. It seemed like every 20 to 30 feet someone was begging for something. I do feel for these people, but I can’t help 40 or 50 people all at once. I’m marking Eureka as a place I do not want to visit. Leaving Eureka, I turned off 101 again and I went through a little town named Ferndale. Once in Ferndale, I took off on a little road and once I was on it I started thinking, “How the hell did I pick this road.” It was tight for 2 cars to pass each other and the repair work that was done is, just throw some crap in the hole and pack it down. Yes, she was a little rough. Then it hit me, Road Runner Magazine. I downloaded the California route and blended it with my other route.

Ok then, let’s travel on down the road and see what we see since I have the right bike for this little adventure. Up and down, left and right, and tiptoeing around those blind corners. Why? I have a lot of dirt road riding experience in Virginia and let me tell you, people in cars and trucks on dirt roads drive insane sometimes. They really do not care what side of the road they are on, so if you can’t see through the corner, you hug it and tip toe until you can see. Let’s just say that paid off twice today. Some of the views that started being feed to me were absolutely incredible. On mountain tops, looking across open fields with clouds hanging just above my head and blue skies in the distance. Then roads falling off the hills into the ocean or they appeared to, from my point of view. This little wonder of a road lasted for hours and hours. On one occasion, it turned into dirt, uphill 15% grade with four 180 degree switch backs. Sorry for my language, but I was like Damn! Apparently through some of this my Spot Tracker stopped working and I got a single txt somehow in the middle of nowhere from the wife. Hey, is the spot tracker on? Is she checking up on me? Don’t tell her, but I gave the spot tracker away weeks ago. I’m really in South America running the Dakar! Yea right! Ok back to reality.

Lunch? So it seemed with all the fun I was having, I forgot to think about lunch until I started feeling a little bit hungry. Stopped in the middle of nowhere and did a food search and there was nothing within an hour. So, I reached into my plan B bag and had peanuts and water for lunch! Yummy! I made up for it at dinner.

Eventually the thrill ride was over and it was back to the sane world of boring roads with cars and RV’s. I continued south on 101 until I reached the Joshua Tree so I could drive through the tree that is a tourist requirement. Ok, it was neat and it’s been there forever, check! This is also where I got a little faith restored. Think about this just for a moment. Ever since I re-entered the Untied States, have I spoken about meeting any nice, different, or interesting people other then the town of Eureka? I was really beginning to believe what I thought was true, an that is we live in a country of snobs and me me’s. Two young men, I estimate 22-23 and likely in college, saw my bike and the note with all the signatures on the tankbag from my workmates. They hung around until I return to the bike and started a conversation with me. They are on a 2 month road trip from California through Canada and eventually turning south until they end up in Florida. They are traveling by car. We chatted a lot about motorcycles, because they both ride Sportbikes, but eventually the conversation turned to what to see in Virginia. After I was done, one of them said to the other, “looks like we are going to have to extend our trip.” We chatted for about 45 minutes and then I had to break it off.

I packed way to much into today’s must see and though I accomplished a lot, I missed out on one Redwood Park, Humboldt. That’s ok, I enjoyed the day. One more thing about weather. When I left the Joshua Tree it was 85 degrees and the skies were clear. By the time I reached Crescent City 2.5 hours later, the temperatures dropped 20 degrees. Brrrrr.

Is anyone curious about mileage to date? 11,685 miles in 30 days including non-travel days. That’s about 390 miles a day.

My new camera did an awesome job. The Lighthouse shots were all taken in Crescent City. Tomorrow it begins! I start my official turn back to Virginia. The next 11 to 12 days, there will be a steady march back to the East.

Pictures of the Day

June 15th Ride Report. Oregon Pacific Coast Hwy.

Today’s run was all about the Pacific Coast Highway and it rarely disappointed and mostly was a highlight reel. I would estimate that 80% of the Highway run along the coastline. Some of the scenery was spectacular and unfortunately my little camera has just about bitten the dust. I believe the internal lens has been corrupted or is just falling apart. Either way, some of the pictures turned out very nice. Some just have a few spots.I will be on the hunt for a camera that will work for me on a motorcycle. Has to be glove friendly.

This morning in Astoria the skies were mostly clear and the temperatures felt warmer than the 60-62 that the bike was reporting. This also allowed me to take some very nice pictures with those clear skies. What did amaze me about the first half of the ride is how busy the road actually was. Nobody wanted to pass anybody either, so cars just kept stacking up deeper and deeper. One particular driver from Florida, yes he was an old fart, thought doing 20 under the speed limit was a good thing. On top of that, he thought it was cool just to let people stack up behind him. You may see this as his right, but I see it two different ways. First, this old fart is just on a power trip. Look at me stack the traffic. Second and the most important is that it is reckless driving in most states to do 20 over or under the posted speed limit. Yes, under! Damn good reason for it to. You might get run over by an 18-wheeler and flatten like a pancake if you cannot maintain the posted speed. That’s another reason you will see a lot of motorcyclist when stopped in traffic, sort of offset to the left or right behind a vehicle in case traffic behind them doesn’t stop they can bolt down the side of stopped traffic. Long story short, I pulled right up beside his driver side window at 35 mph in a 55 mph zone, stared into window, and waved him to the side of the road. To no avail, so I speed off and left the old fart waddling down the road.

It must have been the traffic on the road today because I felt exhausted when I pulled in Crescent City today around 5:00 to 5:30. Can’t remember the exact time. So I checked into the hotel, sat resting for a good hour before I could get out of my chair and go find dinner. Another unfortunate situation is the internet in the hotel is down and appears they are doing nothing to fix it.

Tomorrow I will be running a little further south on 101 checking out the Redwood National Forest, Chandler Drive Through Tree, Humboldt national Park, and of course more coastline. This will be as far south as I go in California and will actually end my day back in Crescent City. The day after I will actually do my first official turn back home in the wiggle to get into Virginia. Sad but true, my trip is winding down but I still have a bunch of miles to do and bunch of stuff to see.

Beware, over 100 photo’s in that link below.

Picture of the Day

No wi-fi, ride report will delay

Yup, stayed in a hotel to charge all devices and blog. Now motel Internet is down. That's not nice. I will post the blog and pictures as soon as I get a hold of se wi-fi. 

I wrote this post using an App on the I-phone.